


Be Careful What You Dare Assume

by InTheShadows



Series: I've Got 99 Problems and Narnia Caused Most of Them [3]
Category: Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types
Genre: Chess, Don't copy to another site, Gen, Post-Prince Caspian, Sibling Bonding, Supportive Edmund Pevensie, The Problem of Susan, emotions are messy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:35:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21919192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InTheShadows/pseuds/InTheShadows
Summary: Susan may be feeling adrift and alone, but that doesn't mean she is. Edmund is there to support her when everyone else seems to turn away. He had before and he does now. He is her favorite sibling for a reason after all. Even if doesn't want to open up, her is there. Plus he plays a good game of chess. That helps as well.
Relationships: Edmund Pevensie & Susan Pevensie
Series: I've Got 99 Problems and Narnia Caused Most of Them [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1531364
Comments: 1
Kudos: 39





	Be Careful What You Dare Assume

Susan surveys the board carefully in front of her before making her move. Edmund smirks and the counters it quickly. Unfortunately - for him - that puts him right into her trap. She moves and now Edmund frowns, lost in thought. They have been at this for an hour now. Chess was something that they all picked up at Cair Paravel, except for Peter, who played before. Even Lucy will play although it is not her favorite game. 

Susan, however, found that she both had a skill for it and enjoyed it. It surprised no one when Peter had a talent - he the High King and leader in war. Nor Edmund, of the courtroom law and, ah, other specialties that were not widely known. Yet everyone underestimated Susan the first time, even those that held her in respect and esteem. It was their downfall every time. They learned after that - or at least most of them did. 

Edmund certainly knows. He has become her main opponent since Peter has been so busy lately. Besides, she is hardly his favorite sister for him to make time for, now is she? That title clearly goes to Lucy. It has always been fairly obvious ever since she was a baby. Peter would dote on her in a way that he would not with anyone else right from the start. He loved them all and protected them, but Lucy was the one he liked best. Maybe it is because she is the baby of the family. Maybe it is something else. All she knows is that the rule that parents must not have favorites does not apply to siblings. 

Edmund is her favorite out of self defense, practically. Not to say that she does not like him for himself. She does. And now, after everything, she finds him the easiest to understand. Before he was her prickly little brother. Now though - he understands anger, understands what it is like to always be second best. In the beginning of their first stay, he was the one who had a harder time then she did. She did not believe. He betrayed them. It is something she has long forgiven him for, but that still means that he knows. Complicated relationships are no stranger to him. 

So she gravitates towards him now when she wants companionship. They do not always talk. There is no urgent need to fill the silence between them. It is comfortable without. It is as if Edmund knows what she is thinking at times. Maybe he does. Like calls to like after all. What she is going through now he has been through before. It is good to know that her favorite brother still likes her. 

“Ah ha!” he cheers when, three moves later, he finds a way out of her trap. 

Susan smiles calmly and begins to create another. 

“How are you doing Sue?” he asks, keeping his eyes on the board. 

“I am fine,” she assures automatically. That is the answer everyone wants to hear, never the truth. 

“Sue,” he repeats with a sigh. 

She frowns, giving in quickly, more quickly then she would for anyone else. “Has anyone else noticed?” Bad enough that he has. She definitely does not want anyone else knowing the difficulty she is going through. 

“No. Well Mum has mentioned that you are looking a bit peckish lately, but that is part concern for you and part concern for the bags under your eyes. You know how she is.” 

Susan nods. There is no doubt that she cares, not ever. She loves all of her children. It is just that she has her own mind and own ideas of what they should turn out like. It cannot help that Narnia changed them all without her knowledge. There is no hiding that they are different now, only the cause of that change. She only wants what is best for them. Her best - but still the best. A tiring situation. 

“So?” He draws her out of her thoughts. 

She allows herself to sigh. “What do you want me to say Ed? That I have nightmares? We all do. That I am not dealing with our return as well as I would like? I am not exactly alone in that. It might be better for you, but that does not mean it is easy. Our world has been overturned - again. There are bound to be consequences to that.” 

“You don’t have to talk to me about that,” he snorts, “I know. That doesn’t mean you have to deal with it alone. No person is an island.” 

“No  _ man _ is an island, you mean,” she corrects, “A woman cannot be because she is expected to surrender herself to a man.” It comes out more bitter than she intends. 

There is a pause through the next two moves. Edmund’s expression is pure concentration, but it is likely not from the game anymore. “Is this from Mum’s talks or Rabadash?” 

She cannot help but frown at the mention of  _ that _ man. There are times when she would like to forget about him completely and times when she holds tight to the lessons he unwittingly taught her. The fact that he is still alive is also something she is conflicted about. It is not that she approves of violence and death, but he almost through their land into complete chaos and war. Although - her lips twitches. “Do you suppose he is still an ass?” 

“Please Sue, all Aslan did was transform his outside to match his insides,” he smirks. The lightness does not stay on his face though. “I know I am the one who argued to keep him alive. He hurt you - deeply - but I still believe in second chances. Being too close to the situation didn’t help. Especially from what you told me.” 

This is something she is privately torn about as well. That Edmund argued against his death after everything. But then he does not know the full extent of it. No one does. She had been too ashamed to confess just what happened after they left their own lands. So she cannot blame him for that. Nor would he be the same brother she knew and loved if he went against his own moral code like that. 

Plus the idea of him being forever stuck as an ass does go a long way in making her feel better. 

So she voices none of these thoughts. “A bit of both,” she finally answers. And more. There is more to it, but she will not bring it up if he does not. Instead she makes her next move. 

“Anger never helps the situation.” 

She arches an eyebrow at him at that. Really now? “And just what would you have done if someone told your thirteen year old self that?” 

“Bloodied my knuckles on their face,” he answers without missing a beat, grinning impishly. 

Isn’t that the truth. Edmund had not been shy about getting into fights. Their mother had despaired. “Thus you believe that to be sound advice to give me why?” 

“Because you won’t actually punch me.” 

She takes his knight in retaliation. 

Edmund just laughs. “See? You’ll only beat me metaphorically instead. This is obviously what I get for trying to be a good brother. Nothing but trouble.” 

“You  _ are _ trouble,” Susan corrects. 

“Hey! I’m getting better aren’t I?” 

“Some,” she agrees. Before if trouble could not find him, then he went looking for it. Now he is steadier - likely from a better sense of self. 

“Thank you,” he says and then takes her castle. “But really though.” 

“But really,” she repeats, “it is just what you think so do not be turning those spy skills on me. I know where you sleep.” 

“Going to put a frog in my sheets?” he grins.

She rolls her eyes. “Do not be ridiculous. As if I would do that to a poor frog. No I will find something much more appropriate to use.” 

That does not dim his grin at all. “Whatever you say Sue.” 

“Whatever I say?” she finally allows herself to smirk. “Well then - checkmate.” 

Edmund groans. “Not again.” 

Yes, even if everything else seems to be falling apart at least she has this one thing. For now. 


End file.
